HiB Hacks for Winter Weather Fun

Have you ever looked out the window on a snowy, winter morning and wished you had a way to get outside and enjoy the fresh air, but didn’t have the equipment to do it? We asked some of our Hike it Baby families for their creative (and pretty ingenious) hacks for beating the fluffy stuff and enjoying the outdoors!

Make your own BabyClava!
Use an adult headband ear warmer around baby’s head to keep their hat on and cheeks and chin nice and warm.

Use adult wool socks as mittens and base layers.
Great for dangling arms and legs, adult wool socks will cover the whole limb, keeping baby nice and warm and unable to pull off! Also, works great under buntings or snowsuits for that extra base layer. Cut the toes off of adult wool socks to use as leg warmers as well!

Finding ice cleats that fit on toddler’s boots is nearly impossible. Take a larger size and rubber band them to your little walker’s boots.

Make your own face moisturizer/protector.
Keep a tin of moisturizer in your to go bag or by the front door for easy application. Store bought lotion barriers can be pricey. Make your own! Take 14 oz of coconut oil, heat until liquid. Mix 15 drops of Vitamin E oil in. Optional extra: a dash of vanilla extract or your favorite essential oil. Pour into paper muffin cups (only fill about 1/4 full) in muffin tins and freeze. Now you have a great lotion to prevent windburn! Just rub a small amount on your cheeks before heading out the door.

Keep feet warm.Do what Grandma used to do! Bread Bags in the boots help to retain heat. You could also cut out a thin piece of styrofoam the same size and shape as the insole of the boot and use to help keep the cold out.

Make your own snow-shoes.
Did you know you can make your own show shoes with pieces of card board? Cut up an empty box into fun footprint shaped flat pieces. Poke some holes and thread a pair of long boot laces through to tie up your legs. Kids will have fun learning about how weight displacement works with different “shoe” sizes. Get creative and go stomp in the snow!

Make your own ice cleats.Are you a runner? Bulky ice cleats can be a pain for running on icy path conditions. Why not turn your shoes into ice-gripping runners? Small screws placed into the sole of the shoe will help with tread. You can find these at any hardware section. One member suggests using #8 – 3/8″ sheet metal hex.

Do it yourself swaddle blanket for the stroller.
Use a maternity belly band, place under baby, wrap baby with blanket and then secure with the belly band! Now the blanket will stay in place and baby will stay nice and toasty warm.

Use a bike lamp for your stroller headlight.
Tiny bike lamps that clip to bikes can also be used on your stroller or clipped to your winter hat or coat! Voila, now you can see the path for those evening strolls!

Patterned duct tape makes for great reflectors.
Find some shiny, fun duct tape. Place a patch on the back of a coat, around a coat arm or on the back of a stroller or wagon. Now lights will reflect off of the tape and motorists will be able to see you, and you will be able to keep track of little runners in the dark!

Keep wind and snow off baby while hiking.
Have a stroller weather shield in your car? Use it on your hard-framed pack carrier to keep baby nice and snug and dry. Don’t have one of those? Cut a hole for baby’s face and use a garbage bag over the sun-shield; just make sure to keep it loose and check to be sure that baby’s face isn’t covered.

Do you have any creative do-it-yourself solutions to winter gear needs? Share them with us!

Christel Peters is a Branch Lead for Hike it Baby Spearfish and the Mama to Sebastian. When she isn’t chasing her adventurous toddler on the trails she is one of the Blog Editors for Hike it Baby. Do you have a story that should appear on our blog? Let us know!! email : editor@hikeitbaby.com with submissions

Shanti Hodges is the founder of Hike it Baby. She's spent more time outside on adventures post baby than she ever had before baby. It's her mission to convince the world that hiking is the best gateway into loving the outdoors. When not hauling Mason around on her back she can be found trying to convince him that walking forward is better than walking around in circles.Read More by Shanti

Hike it Baby Supporters

Shanti Hodges is the founder of Hike it Baby. She's spent more time outside on adventures post baby than she ever had before baby. It's her mission to convince the world that hiking is the best gateway into loving the outdoors. When not hauling Mason around on her back she can be found trying to convince him that walking forward is better than walking around in circles.Read More by Shanti